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Automated Inspection and Vision Systems
Automated Inspection and Vision Systems
Vision Systems
ME 514 CIM
Machine Vision
• The lens captures the image and delivers it to the image sensor in the
camera.
• Lens will vary in optical quality and price, the lens used determines
the quality and resolution of the captured image.
IMAGE SENSOR
• The camera’s ability to capture a correctly-illuminated image of the
inspected object depends not only on the lens, but also on the image
sensor within the camera.
• Image sensors convert light (photons) to electrical signals (electrons).
• Essentially the job of the image sensor is to capture light and convert
it to a digital image balancing noise, sensitivity and dynamic range.
• The image is a collection of pixels.
• Low light produces dark pixels, while bright light creates brighter
pixels. It’s important to ensure the camera has the right sensor
resolution for the application. The higher the resolution, the more
detail an image will have, and the more accurate measurements will
be. Part size, inspection tolerances, and other parameters will dictate
the required resolution.
VISION PROCESSING
• Processing is the mechanism for extracting information from a digital
image and may take place externally in a PC-based system, or
internally in a standalone vision system.
• It is performed by software and consists of several steps.
• First, an image is acquired from the sensor.
• Pre-processing may be required to optimize the image and ensure
that all the necessary features stand out.
• Next, the software locates the specific features, runs measurements,
and compares these to the specification. Finally, a decision is made
and the results are communicated.
COMMUNICATIONS
• Discrete I/O points may be connected to a programmable logic
controller (PLC), which will use that information to control a work cell
or an indicator such as a stack light or directly to a solenoid which
might be used to trigger a reject mechanism.
• Data communication by a serial connection can be in the form of a
conventional RS- 232 serial output, or Ethernet, Wireless-LAN
Types of machine vision systems
• 1D vision systems
• 1D vision analyzes a digital signal
one line at a time instead of
looking at a whole picture at once,
such as assessing the variance
between the most recent group of
ten acquired lines and an earlier
group.
• This technique commonly detects
and classifies defects on materials
manufactured in a continuous
process, such as paper, metals,
plastics, and other non-woven
sheet or roll goods.
2D systems
• Most common inspection cameras perform area
scans that involve capturing 2D snapshots in
various resolutions
• Another type of 2D machine vision–line scan–
builds a 2D image line by line
3D Systems
• 3D machine vision systems typically comprise multiple cameras or one or
more laser displacement sensors. Multi-camera 3D vision in robotic
guidance applications provides the robot with part orientation information.
These systems involve multiple cameras mounted at different locations and
“triangulation” on an objective position in 3-D space.